Pakistan make bizarre excuse for loss to India in U-19 Cricket World Cup 2018

Pakistan lost to eventual champions India in the ICC U-19 cricket World Cup semi-final. Nadeem Khan, the Pakistan team manager, said the way the players performed against India, it seemed as if someone had cast a magic spell on them.

“It appeared as if our batsmen had no idea what was happening out on the field or how to tackle the situation and pressure.”

India, after outclassing Pakistan, went on to beat Australia in the final and win the U-19 World Cup for a record fourth time.

Nadeem, who toured India in 1999 with the Pakistan Test squad, appreciated the gesture of the Indian team coach Rahul Dravid to later visit the opposition dressing room and boost the morale of the players.

“I wouldn’t say our performance was satisfactory even though we managed to make the semifinals. Compared to previous youth teams the current generation of junior players lacked in many areas,” he added.